Just One More Night
Just One More Night
By TJ Folf / Aenzi
NOTE: This is Part 2 of Crimson Visage. It is highly recommended you first read "Of Hard-drives and Fox-drives".
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/tjfolf
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"Clay..."
"Mm?"
"I thought we agreed we were going to wait for awhile. You know, not rush into things. Take it slow. That's what you said."
"Yeah, Cody that's what we said."
"I thought it was a good idea..."
"It is a good idea, Cody. What's the problem?"
"...your paw is in my pants."
Clay grinned. "And is that a problem?"
"Well, yes and no. I personally don't mind, but you're making me awfully...awfully..."
"...horny?"
"I was trying to come up with a nicer word than that." Cody said, sticking his tongue out playfully at his mate.
Clay leaned in touching his nose to Cody's. "You don't need to worry about what you say around me, darling."
"I know, it's just...Mmmph!"
Clay cut him off firmly with a deep, passionate kiss, and a squeeze with his aptly placed paw. Cody knew he should fight this, that he should call the older fox off. It was far too early in their relationship to risk it all for quick pleasure. But Cody's ability to withstand Clay crumbled before it even began.
Clay was an older and larger fox, his fur the color of his namesake, a dark gray. And he was the most handsome creature on earth! There was no way that Cody could resist this. He was too young, and too much in love. He merely wrapped his arms around Clay's neck, and kissed back.
Cody was a common red fox, much smaller than Clay...and the larger fox was the master of him. This kiss...every move of Clay's tongue, every touch of his paw was a command, and Cody was helpless but to obey.
Clay's adventurous paw began to wander. He intruded past the waistband of Cody's boxer-briefs, and began hunting. And the wayward paw immediately targeted its pray, then seized its quarry. Cody's eyes snapped open in astonishment. Oh, that touch! The smaller fox began to squirm against the onslaught. Clay leaned into his kiss, wrapping his tongue around Cody's, and at the same time he gave the little fox another squeeze. Cody gave a defenseless whimper, and ceased resisting. He relaxed, almost against his will, into Clay's ministrations.
Clay suddenly broke the kiss, and stepped away, pausing only to lap and nibble at Cody's neck. The gray fox slowly, sensually, kneeled on the floor in front of his lover. Gentle, determined paws grabbed Cody's jeans and boxers, and slid them slowly to the ground.
"Now, just relax foxy." he whispered, his voice almost inaudible. "I will make this feel amazing. I promise you won't regret a thing."
Cody swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He nodded.
A distant, but incessant beeping noise filled the air. Cody blinked.
"Clay do you have a pager?" he asked.
"Hm?" Clay looked up. "What are you talking about, foxy?"
The beeping grew louder and louder. In only a few moments, it had grown to an almost deafening roar!
* * *
Cody lifted his muzzle from the pillow, now damp from where he had been attempting to make out with an invisible mouth. The alarm clock continued it's endless beeping, proclaiming the time to arise.
"Oh...that is not fair..." Cody said ruefully. An angry paw slammed down on the offending clock, silencing the irritating din. Cody had never...never had a dream like that...The little fox looked down and saw an miniature tent that had been very visibly erected in the center of his bed sheets. He pulled his knees to himself, blushing deeply, even though there was no one else around to see him in his aroused state. He was more than self-conscious about such things. The dream had been so vivid...Cody could remember the way Clay's fur had felt!
The smallest of shudders passed through the little fox's body. He ran his claws through the fur on the back of his neck, habitually trying to smooth already-smoothed fur. The dream had unsettled Cody in more ways than one. The fox exhaled with a delicate little huff. If he was going to have dreams like this one often, he was going to have to begin sleeping in more than just boxers.
What in the world had Cody set the damn alarm for, anyway? He knew he had to go to work, but...
Work!
Today a representative from the National School of Electronics was coming to evaluate Cody at the shop! If Cody managed to impress the school rep, he might actually get some college credit for working at the computer shop. He might actually get to skip a year of college altogether, and enter university with sophomore status.
The fox got up, shaking off his morning drowsiness. He stood and quickly stretched, then jogged to the bathroom. That was the reason he'd gotten up so early. He wanted time to take a shower and have enough time left over to dry his fur properly. That was one of the great drawbacks of fur, Cody decided. Showering was an hour-long affair. The little fox never complained, though. He was proud of his fur, and he enjoyed taking care of it. Maintaining his fur was an art, almost, and he always prided himself on how soft he managed to keep his fur. It took hours of washing with the right shampoo and even more of the right conditioner, then longer still brushing it.
Especially his tail. He had to take care of his tail. He'd be nothing without it.
Cody looked at himself in the mirror. A pair of green eyes looked curiously back at him, unsure of what to think. Cody wasn't sure if he liked the way he looked. Despite the amount of time he spent on making himself look presentable, he rarely looked at himself in the mirror. He felt detached from the fox in the mirror. The fox in the mirror was a pretty good looking guy, but he wasn't sure if that was himself sometimes.
Cody looked away from the mirror, kicked off his underwear, and jumped into the tub. He didn't have a separate shower stall; His house wasn't that fancy. He just had a shower in the bathtub. He was very careful to close the curtain behind him, as always, checking both ends of the curtain rod to be sure that there were no gaps that someone could peek through. Cody had always been irrationally nervous that someone that someone would sneak into the bathroom and watch him. To that end, he always checked the curtain.
Cody disliked his overt sense of modesty; he didn't like being nervous around other people. It inhibited him from acting the way he wanted, sometimes. The little fox suddenly wondered if there was anyone that he would let peek through the curtain. Would there ever be a person that he could be that comfortable with?
...Clay?
Cody wrapped his arms around himself and leaned against the wall, blushing a deep scarlet beneath his fur. Cody supposed he always knew that one day he'd be with Clay without his clothes on. That was the way it was supposed to go, wasn't it? Intimacy was supposed to be the goal of every relationship. But now that he thought about it, the thought almost frightened him. The two of them, like that...
Oooh, but the way that Clay could use his paws. He'd already shown Cody that he was a master of the art of caressing. Just the idea of those paws on Cody's bare fur, kneading, caressing, exploring...
Cold shower! That's what the little fox needed. All of these strange thoughts. And that dream! Cody had never thought so much about such things. He turned the faucet to cold, and pushed it on. The cold water flowed over his slender vulpine form, soaking his fur, cleansing him.
But these thoughts of Clay remained despite the deluge of ice water. Clay...now that Cody was freezing from this icy shower, he longed to be in the gray fox's arms once more. He would be able to warm up such a little fox. The shower had removed all thoughts of sensuality from Cody's mind, but he still thought of Clay; He wanted so much more of Clay than his body. He remembered fondly all the kindness the elder gray fox had shown him over the past years. He'd always known that Clay was into other guys. Clay had wanted that out in the open between them, he'd sad that he didn't want to hide. And over a few years, Cody had noticed he didn't really get excited over girls. Then, thinking of Clay, he'd wondered what it would be like to be that way. And oh, how he'd liked what he wondered.
Clay and I--?
Cody began to tremble, his body shivering from the cold. He marveled at how such a thing as cold could make his muscles lose so much control as to shake violently as he was right now. Cody turned the faucet back to warm water, realizing that no amount of freezing water could quench his thirst for Clay. He leaned against the shower wall once more, and closed his eyes, giving a gentle murr. He slid down to the floor of the tub, hugging his knees to his chest, now letting steaming water bring him back to life. He knew he should hurry to get ready for work, but work would eventually fade away as Cody moved onto new careers. But he wanted this warm feeling to last forever.
* * *
Clay was driving not far from where Cody was now. He was in his truck, making deliveries. His thoughts wandered much the same path as Cody's. Unlike Cody, Clay had no reservations about letting his mind linger on thoughts of sensuality and passion. And Cody was more than enough to stimulate both in that Gray fox! Clay chuckled to himself as he drove along. Oh how little he knew of himself.
Clay had been almost nervous when Cody had confessed his love for him. Clay knew he'd always thought of Cody as a cute little foxy, but he'd always thought of him as a cute straight little foxy! Fun to tease, but strictly off-limits, no touching allowed. So, Clay had hidden his own feelings from himself. There were feelings there before, Clay knew. He'd never fallen in love so hard so fast, and never felt like this. The desire had been there all along, Clay had just been trying to ignore it to protect himself. To protect Cody.
Clay laughed at himself. He remembered how he'd hovered over Cody for these past years, always keeping an eye on little fox. He'd never really asked himself why. Perhaps he never wanted to know why. 'Why' had a ringing finality to it that made one look in the mirror and figure out who they were. Clay never wanted to do that with Cody. Why?
Why...? It was so obvious now.
The signal up the road ahead changed leisurely from green to yellow, then from yellow to red. Clay's footpaw pressed down on the brake from inside the comfort of a padded boot, and the truck slid to halt in front of the stop light. The gray fox reached up with a paw and wiped tears from his eyes. He opened his muzzle and laughed once again. Look at him! Crying like a pup! He usually wasn't so emotional, but...but he knew he was lucky, so very lucky, to have Cody. Cody was such a good person, not like anyone else that Clay had ever been with. Not that Clay had been with very many, but Cody was different. He was quiet, and sensitive...and loving. And Clay couldn't possibly ask for more.
Suddenly, the turn signal of the truck flipped on. Clay grinned to himself. Cody would be leaving for work in a few minutes. The gray fox would stop by the house and give Cody a ride. It was far too cold to be walking outside anyway. Oh yeah, Cody had that collegiate review thing today, too, didn't he? Clay would have time to wish him luck...and steal a kiss or two.
* * *
Cody dashed out his door, tearing down the street. It was days like this he wished he had a car. No, actually it was every day that he wished he had a car. But today, in particular, it would have been nice! He wasn't really late, but five minutes earlier would have been nice. Five minutes earlier would have labeled him prudent instead of just punctual. Five minutes.
His paws kicked up snow as he ran, snow coating his boots. He growled in irritation. "Terrible running weather..." he griped to himself. The cuffs of his pants were probably going to be soaked by the time he got to work. There was nothing for it. He'd rather preserve his organized reputation than appear in dry clothes.
Cody cut a sharp turn in between two houses, following a curve in the road. Suddenly, the road dead ended into a thick patch of woods. The thick patch of woods, Cody knew from observing maps, was really the edge of an impressive forest, many miles wide. Cody didn't care about that. What Cody did care about was that cutting through a path in these woods would save him five minutes getting to work. And that might make the difference.
Cody fairly dove into the woods, his boot-covered paws pounding the earth beneath the snow. He didn't slow. He kept his pace, the trees fairly blurring by him. He ducked branches and skipped over roots, his heart beating in time with his paws slamming the ground. This shortcut saved him those precious few minutes on the way to work, but for some reason, Clay had continuously lectured Cody on the dangers of these woods. But surely Clay wouldn't mind just this once? After all, was running very late. And he couldn't be late. Not today!
Cody looked at his watch. Ten minutes. Hey! He was actually doing alright! Well, not actually ten minutes. More like nine and a half...
Cody's eyes were torn from his watch as he crashed to the ground. He looked down to see that his footpaw was caught in a thick loop of a tree root protruding from the ground. Cody sat up quickly. He checked his ankle. It was alright, a small miracle. Cody glanced at the thick root once more and marveled that he hadn't broken his entire paw in the naturally set trap. The little fox scrambled to his paws and began checking his clothing. He'd careened into a bank of snow and leaves when he'd fallen, and he began brushing both off of his clothing.
"I can't have dirty clothes...I can't have dirty clothes!!" he chanted at himself. After a few moments he breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. He was still presentable. He'd somehow avoided getting wet in that soggy snow covering the ground. "Okay, Cody," he murmured to himself, his breath still ragged from his run. "Let's hurry, but a little slower."
It was lousy weather to be outside. It had snowed the night before, but the current temperature was a degree or two above freezing, so the snow was thick and sopping wet. Aside from the wet, Cody just hated the smell of melting snow. Fresh snow was cold, frozen. It smelled crisp and refreshing. Snow like he was running through smelled so...so...
Cody froze, sniffing the air. There was something else on the air besides wet snow. It was hard to isolate, but smelled like something Cody knew. Something familiar, a scent he smelled everyday. So common he couldn't even identify it. What was it?
It was wet fur. That's what it was. The little fox raised his muzzle and scented the air, his small black nose moving with small, delicate snuffling noises. It wasn't Cody's own fur. He knew that scent well, and his fur had been dry since after his shower. He was wearing clothes. Then who...?
A terribly strange sound filled the air, a deep echoing growl. Almost like that of a truck engine idling. Cody spun in a circle, but could see nothing but trees in every direction. What was that noise?
Wait...was that Clay's truck?
CRASH!!!
Bells rang in Cody's head as he fell to the ground. He quickly rolled over and then he saw the source of the noise...and the smell.
The wolf was just like any other: Average clothes, average height. But something was wrong with him. He didn't look right, didn't smell right. He didn't smell like a wolf. And his eyes...
His eyes were RED!
The wolf advanced slowly, his fangs bared in a malignant grin. Cody's breath caught in his chest. Then, he did the only thing he could think to do. He ran.
Cody fairly dove through the woods, his boot-covered paws pounding the earth beneath the snow. He didn't slow. He kept his pace, the trees fairly blurring by him. He ducked branches and skipped over roots, his heart beating twice as fast as his paws slamming the ground, beating fit to burst. This shortcut normally saved him those precious few minutes on the way to work. Now Cody wondered if he could save his own life.
The wolf was a single step behind Cody, perhaps two. The little fox knew. He could feel the lupine's hot breath on his neck. He could hear the vicious growls and snaps of the jaws echoing off of every tree. He was close. He was fast. He was matching Cody at every curve and twist, despite his larger size. Cody ran a great deal, it was one of his favorite pastimes. He was using every trick he knew, but the wolf was better. The wolf was better than him!
There were times in the past that Cody had thought himself to be afraid. He'd thought he had tasted fear. But this was all-consuming. His all four of his paws and his arms and legs were numb, and not from cold. The little fox thought he'd misplaced his chest someplace further back in the wood, for his torso felt empty. Except for that tell-tale heart. There would be no place for Cody to hide, for his heart beating like the piston of a titanic engine would give him away.
In his state of mind, Cody spared no thoughts for the obvious questions. Who was this wolf? Why was his chasing Cody? What was this wolf?!? There was nothing left of the fox's inquisitive nature; There was only flight, adrenaline, and the interminable beating of his heart in his chest and his paws upon the snow.
The wolf was drawing closer, closing what meager gap Cody had created between them. The fox could hear the wolf's running paws strike the ground, ringing in his ears louder than his own. Cody gritted his teeth. He was better than some blundering wolf. He was vulpine, sure of paw and spirit. And an idea flashed through his mind.
Cody stopped his paws, his footpaws sliding through the snow with his continuing momentum. The wolf tried to stop as well, but being heavier, he had a harder time of it than Cody. Without warning, the little fox leapt against a tree, for a moment his motion allowing him to stand upon the trunk sideways, as if the nature of the earth had somehow been confused, then he jumped backward, and took off the way he came; running, if possible, with an even quicker pace than he had been before.
The little fox chanced a glance over his shoulder. The wolf was nowhere to be seen. Cody could have almost laughed in glee and relief. Vulpine cleverness was a force to be reckoned with. The sly fox had again outwitted the larger creature. Cody once again focused upon his running. He would run home, that was the nearest place, and all the doors would already be locked. He'd call the police, then Clay, then wait until...
"RRRAAAAGGH!!!"
Cody howled as sharp claws raked down his back. The little fox came crashing to the ground, not knowing who or what had hit him. Before he'd even had time to register the feeling of blood dripping through his fur, he was hauled back to his paws.
And he stared once again into those malignant, lupine eyes. Those golden-crimson eyes. Glowing, deadly eyes.
Cody turned and tried to run. He managed a whole three steps before gripping lupine paws latched upon him like twin vices on death row. Then the wolf lunged forward, and unnaturally long fangs sank into the fox's shoulder.
Cody screamed. The longest, most piercing cry that had ever been released from his muzzle. But there was no one to hear. Cody kicked, twisted, slashed, and clawed at the wolf. But the wolf's grip was sure, and there would be no escape for Cody as the wolf mauled him into annihilation.
Then, Cody was distracted for an infinitesimal moment. Distracted by a morbid, lifeless sucking sound. Coming from the wolf. Coming from his shoulder. The sound made Cody's heart stop, just of hearing it.
The wolf was drinking his blood.
He was going to die. There was now no doubt in Cody's mind. He was currently living his last few minutes of a life that was much too short to be satisfied with. Cody could think of nothing he was even proud of accomplishing in his short time on earth. The world would continue moving tomorrow, heedless of the death of a small fox that had not made any impact upon its surface.
Well, that wasn't true. He'd told Clay he loved him. And only three days later, Clay had told Cody that he loved him, too. That was earthshaking.
Cody began to kick and struggle once more. Clay was worth living for! He wouldn't die here! This was why Clay told him never to use these woods. Because he cared for him, and feared for his safety. He wouldn't die for this mistake. He'd listen to Clay in the future! He'd live for him! He would break free, he would escape, he...
But then, for some odd reason, Cody's legs wouldn't move. His voice could no longer shout. His body didn't respond to his commands. His vision blurred. Then the feeling of the wolf's claws digging into his flesh began to fade away. Cody couldn't even feel the pain of his shoulder anymore. His body was saturated with a wonderful, blissful numbness. The woods began to grow dark. So very dark.
Clay...
I'm...
So...
Sor...ry...
KerCRACK!
The wolf howled as the bullet tore through his flesh. Cody was jolted into semi-awareness as he roughly was dropped to the snow-covered ground.
KerCRACKKerCRACKKerCRACK!
Clay fired his pistol again and again and again, until the revolver was out of bullets. He deftly reloaded, then raised the weapon again. But the wolf had disappeared, fled into the depth of the forest.
Clay fell to the ground next to Cody. That gorgeous white fur! Cody's wonderful white fur that covered his neck and torso. Clay loved how soft the feeling of his was. Now, through the tattered remnants of Cody's coat and shirt, he could see that white fur was stained crimson.
White fur was covered with blood.
The white snow was painted red by Cody's life, pooling in a grisly lake beneath him.
"Cody! Dear Jesus!!!" Clay cried, gathering the tiny fox in his arms. He was so small. He'd never noticed how fragile. "Say you're alive! Dammit, tell me you're alive!"
There was no sound.
No sound at all.
Then...
"Esos...ree..."
Clay's heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"I'ms--so....so...ry."
I'm so sorry. Clay understood every word.
"Oh, baby...Don't worry, I'm gonna get you someplace safe." He whispered in Cody's ear. But there was no point. Cody couldn't hear him...everything was darkness.
* * *
Cody was very faintly aware of his surroundings. It seemed as if time wasn't moving quite as fast as it ought to be. It seemed every time he blinked an hour passed. Or maybe no time at all. He couldn't tell. He faded in and out of consciousness, between darkness and light. He was one moment laying on the ground, the next he was in Clay's arms, and the gray fox was running. Cody didn't understand what the hurry was. Clay never hurried. Cody didn't understand where they were going, or what the big hurry was for.
Cody closed his eyes, and tried to shake his head to clear the fog from his mind. But his head wouldn't move. None of him would move. When he opened his eyes, he was in Clay's truck, and the engine was roaring. Trees and houses blurred by. What was the hurry for?
Cody weakly sniffed. Mmm, the entire cabin of the truck smelled like Clay. He'd ridden in this truck a thousand times before. It felt familiar, it felt comfortable. He was safe here. Cody took a deep sighing breath, and the world began to blur once again. He was so very tired. Cody let himself go, and he began to drift away...
Clay felt Cody go limp next to him. He snapped his vision from the road and yipped frantically. "Cody! Cody, hang on to me!"
Then he felt it. That heart beating. That tell-tale heart, telling a short tale of life. Cody was alive, merely unconscious.
Clay had pulled his own coat off of himself and tore a large strip of cloth from the bottom of his shirt, making a bandage of a fashion. He'd secured the cloth tightly enough around Cody's shoulder that blood wouldn't be able to flow. That would hold them until they got where they were going. She would be able to help him. She always new what to do!
Clay drove with only one paw on the wheel, his other arm wrapped around Cody's chest. He'd propped Cody up, the little fox's back leaning against Clay's side. Clay's breath came in ragged gasps, his paw soaked with sweat upon the steering wheel. Dammit. Cody had lost a shit load of blood. She would be able to keep him alive once they arrived. The question was whether or not he'd last the fifteen minutes it would take to get there.
Those were the longest fifteen minutes of Clay's life.
Clay was driving like a mad creature, his hazard lights a meager warning to anyone that might get in his way. It was only by some divine intervention that Clay managed to not get pulled over on the highway. He was driving well over the speed limit, narrowly missing cars and traffic dividers alike. When he pulled onto the exit ramp, he glanced at the clock on his dashboard. His driving had been reckless, but he'd turned a fifteen minute trip into a ten minute one. Clay ran a red light at the base of the ramp and sped down a narrow freeway, surrounded by corn fields. He looked down one more time.
Cody was out cold. His breathing was uneven, feebly gasping. His heart beat was steady against Clay's arm, but faint. So terrifyingly faint. Clay welded his blue eyes upon the road ahead of him, stepping harder on the gas. The speedometer crept over the 100 mark. Claws chewed strips from the finish of the steering wheel. A heart beat faintly.
Faintly.
The wheels of the truck slid off of the paved road and onto a gravel driveway. The truck slid sideways several yards when Clay stepped on the break. Clay fairly threw his door open. Then he stopped.
He looked down at Cody. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but Clay could see that it hadn't stopped entirely. The seat was covered in blood. Clay couldn't examine his shoulder; it was covered by the now bloody makeshift bandage. There were three symmetrical gashes vertically running the length of his back. Those didn't look good. He didn't look good. His eyes were shut, and every few moments he'd clamp those eyes closed and give a weak gasp. He was in pain.
Clay couldn't watch any longer.
He picked up Cody in his arms as gently as was possible, and then he ran from the car. She had to be home, she had to be! The home Clay had stopped at was in a huge hundred acre lot, surrounded by farms. The house itself was a farm-style home, impressive in size, covered in wood panels, which were varnished but not painted. The house might've passed as a log cabin were it not for its recognizable shape. Clay didn't stop to admire the home as he had in the past. He merely dashed for the door. He knew she was home. She never left.
The door was thick, solid oak. It echoed through out the house as Clay pounded on the aged wood. She was home. He didn't wonder. He knew. But then, for a moment, there was no noise. The bottom dropped out of Clay's stomach. What if she wasn't here?
No! He pounded again and again! "Open up!" he cried. "It's an emergency!" He didn't have to use her name. She knew his voice. "Where are you?!?"
Then there was the creak of wood. The sound of claws upon paws descending stairs. The sound of three locks being unlatched seemed to take longer now than it ever had before. The door swiftly opened.
The creature was an aged gray vixen. She'd seen the turn of many seasons, but with only a simple look at her one could see the beauty she must have possessed in her day. She had gray fur much the same shade as Clay's, but her muzzle and the tips of her ears had long since whitened with age. She wore a simple blouse with a long sweater and khaki pants, well dressed for one not expecting company. Beauty was no longer a word that could describe her, but rather she now possessed a stately grace, and immense power of stature. She did not stand high herself, but she carried the air of a creature ten feet tall or more.
Sharp blue eyes took in the sight before her. Clay, kneeling on a snow covered porch, wearing nothing but a torn shirt and jeans. In his arms was a bleeding fox, wearing no shirt at all. And she saw the way Cody was cradled in his arms.
"Fates on high! Get inside, quickly!" she said, her voice smooth, commanding. She wasted no time. "Come! Hurry, hurry! I don't want him chilled."
Clay rose immediately and followed her, the door slamming behind them.
"Who is he?"
"He's my..." Clay hesitated. "He's my best friend."
"Friend? He can't be more than 13!" She said quickly turning a corner down a hallway.
"He's 17." Clay said somewhat defensively, following her.
"17? Red foxes breed small these days, it would seem." She opened a door off the hall, and beckoned Clay inside. The room had a bed in the center, with sofas or benches lining every wall. There was a window behind the bed, looking out into a spacious backyard lined with was seemed to be thick woods. The old vixen immediately went to the widows and drew the shades, casting the room into darkness. She turned on a lamp, which burned very dimly, and eerie shadows loomed the walls.
"Lay him down, quickly."
Clay obeyed, but he didn't move quickly. He set Cody down slowly, being infinitely careful not to harm him further. The vixen leaned over Cody, quietly examining. She spoke as she worked. "That wound on his shoulder. Is that--?"
"Yes."
"How long ago was he bitten?" She asked.
"About 20 minutes." Clay replied.
"You got here quickly. Were you there when it happened?"
"Sort of." Clay said. "I arrived just in time, I scared him off, but I don't think I managed to kill him. He was a wolf, dark gray. Looked to be about his mid-forties. Not one I've heard of before around here."
"Lord, and older wolf." the vixen murmured under her breath, touching Cody's neck and chest. "No, he's not one we know about. Alright, this is going to take me a little while, and I don't need you hovering about distracting me. Go wait in that hall."
"But--"
"Out, out! He's stable for now, and nothing's going to change in the next hour. Leave!"
Clay was roughly shoved out into the hallway and the door was shut audibly behind him. For a moment, he merely sat there, staring at a closed door, thinking how many doors had really just closed for him. For Cody. He sighed and slumped down to the floor, still clad in a torn shirt. Her name was Seerey and she was one of the only doctors of her kind, and the only one anywhere near here. She'd dealt with these type of creatures all her life. She'd be able to save Cody. There was really no need to worry.
And yet, Clay worried.
He sat on the floor of the hallway, leaning against the wall, legs sprawled in opposite directions. He stared unseeingly at the ceiling. He felt sick, and he couldn't even really say why. Clay could only think of how pleasantly the day had began. A few deliveries, stop in to say hi to Cody. Maybe steal some alone-time in the truck. Maybe dinner after Cody got off work. That was how the day started.
Can I just try it again? Maybe I can just start over. Wake up again and arrive early enough to take Cody to work. Then he would be safe, he'd be earning college credit. The future would still be bright. Cody would be heading the right direction.
And Clay wouldn't have to feel this way.
Clay needed something. Anything. Something to drink, water would do. He shakily rose. He knew the bathroom was right down the hall, that was closer than the kitchen. He didn't need a glass. He could drink from the damn faucet.
Clay walked slowly down the hall, keeping his hand on the wall for his balance. He'd been running on an adrenaline rush for the past half-hour. Coming off one of those, one felt like shit, Clay decided. He'd used up everything in his body that might have once been called energy. He was tired. But he didn't want sleep. No, he just wanted today to have never happened.
Clay found the bathroom and walked inside. It was lightly colored and nicely decorated much like the rest of the house. Clay walked to sink and turned the faucet on cold. He leaned his muzzle underneath the faucet and drank, not caring how undignified he might look. He drank long and deep, suddenly feeling like he hadn't drank for days.
Clay looked up into the bathroom mirror, breathing heavily. Running water was a luxury he'd taken for granted, Clay thought to himself. It was so useful. He wouldn't have minded having it back with Cody, to wash off all the blood.
An image of Cody laying in a lake of his own blood burned before Clay's eyes. That fur so white, so stained. Red blood everywhere. Red red red...
Clay vomited into the sink.
Thankfully the water was still running, so the sink didn't clog. Clay didn't think he could have stomached cleaning up after himself. He'd just rid himself of all the water he'd drank, but he didn't want any more. He didn't deserve any more.
He fell to the tiled floor. Clay did this for a living. Cody was the one person he should have been able to keep safe. The one person he should have been able to protect, and Clay blew it. And as usual, he blew it big fashion. Cody might not survive Clay's mistake. But the gray fox wasn't ready to say goodbye to Cody. Clay was so in love, he didn't want to let go. Perhaps he was selfish, but this was the first time he'd ever felt like this: He was terrified of being alone.
This morning he was relishing a life with Cody years in the future. Now he was wondering if there would be a life with Cody tomorrow.
Clay began to cry silently. "I want you, Cody. I want you like no one I've ever known before. You are the love of my life, that one I've been looking for. I don't want yesterday to be the last time I'll see your eyes. I know I screwed up, but I just don't think I could live without you. I don't want to be alone again. I want to be with you. I want just one more night."
Cody...
I'm...
So...
So...ry...
In that bathroom, Clay cried himself into a dazed silence, wondering what would happen to them now. Outside the sun broke through the clouds, shining brightly upon the earth. The wet snow reflected the suns gaze, refracting like fragile diamonds into an empty sky.
TO BE CONTINUED.